Theater beings season with ‘I Do, I Do’

The ups and downs of one couple's wedding over 50 years is the story line of the Baldwin City Theatre's first production of the year, "I Do, I Do." The romantic comedy opens Friday night at the Baldwin Junior High School Auditorium. The show continues its run Saturday and Sunday and Feb. 12-13.

Marion Constantinescu and Heather Ballinger, local theater veterans, play the couple from the night before their wedding to the last days in the house they moved into as newlyweds. The audience will watch them get married, have children, go through marital difficulties, watch their own children get married and move from their familiar home. Staging allows the audience to watch the characters change from older to younger using costuming and makeup.

"It's a nice family musical," said director Donna Kane-Swan. "You can bring your kids to it."

Among the 18 numbers in the score is "My Cup Runneth Over."

The musical is the theater's annual dinner production, following last year's production of "Nunsense." Dinner will be served prior to the Feb. 12 and 13 performances.

Constantinescu just completed a run in the Lawrence Community Theatre production of "A Tuna Christmas." Ballinger is in her second dinner theater after portraying one of the principals in "Nunsense" last year.

Kane-Swan has directed Lawrence Community Theatre productions and has a doctorate in theater from the University of Kansas. She is assisted by husband Mike Swan, the play's producer; Carol Cooper, music director; and a host of volunteer production workers.

The show opens at 8 p.m. Friday. There also will be performances at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Dinner, catered by S & J Catering (Dari Ring), will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, for the 8 p.m. show, and again at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, for the 2 p.m. show.

Dinner theater tickets are available for $18 each at Santa Fe Market, Baldwin State Bank and Whitney's Creative Hair Designs. Dinner theater tickets must be purchased by Feb. 8. Show only tickets are $10 and available at the door.